The N Word.

Today's topic is about use of the word nigger, yea I said it and even spelled it out now what? It is a word that can be divisive depending on who is using it and why. It stirs up a mixed bag of emotions in Americans from every color and background. It comes with a lot of baggage because of its origin in American culture and history. The African American experience with it has been a love hate relationship. On one hand some of us don't like use of the word under any circumstance. Then there are others of us who use the word as a term of endearment in certain circumstances. It would seem that the more time passes that separates it from its ugly inception in slavery days, the more we have become accustomed to comfortably using it in our communities.

The most insensitive aspect of it occurs when some one from another race uses the word under any circumstance, most African Americans find this to be completely unacceptable and rightfully so. The most recent controversy surrounding the word occurred when Dr. Laura used the word on her radio talk show reportedly 11 times. How dare she. Doesn't she know that it is not only politically incorrect but whites under no circumstance have the social clout to use this word, even if it is just in an abstract instance as in this particular case. To make matters worse then you have an racially insensitive loudmouth like Sara Palin jump into the fray and say it is a violation of Dr. Laura's right to free speech and that takes it over the top. The problem I have with both of them is the fact that their life experience does not allow for empathy for the African American experience, how can it, their white. That disqualifies them from the start in my opinion. Couple that with the fact that neither of them seems to be capable of considering information that refutes their position on topics like this. They seem to have all the answers and the hell with information that does not support that. There is a wise saying that says, "It is a wise man or woman who knows his or her own ignorance and it is a fool who thinks he knows everything. I wonder what category these two idiots fit into?

Finally I suppose we could go into the history of the word and determine how it was coined as a term to begin with. To me that is not of particular importance. After all it is only a word. what is important is the feelings that are implied when one uses the word when describing others. That is where the implied racist overtures are hidden. For certain segments of the American population it is a way of unmasking their true feelings about people of color or revealing that they are racist. That is the problems most African Americans have with use of the word. Your telling us you don't like us, and in most cases those feelings are unprovoked. That's why people like Sara Palin and Dr. Laura can't use it because deep down they don't like us. Even though they don't have the moral fortitude to just come right out and say so. First amendment rights or not Sara Palin and Dr. Laura's use of this word is off limits for anyone not of color who is as disingenuous as these two boneheads. That's real Talk.